Claims
- 1. A process for the preparation of a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material for further processing comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion from said naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier wherein said hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion has a water content of at least 15 wt. %, a viscosity of no more than 5000 centipoise at 122.degree. F. and an oil droplet size of no more than 300 microns;
- (b) degassing said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion at a temperature of as low as 95.degree. F. at a pressure of at least 20 psi so as to obtain a degassing efficiency of said hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion of greater than or equal to 90% so as to produce a degassed hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion having a gas content of less than 5 cubic ft. of gas per barrel of emulsion;
- (c) adjusting the density difference between the hydrocarbon-in-water phases of said degassed hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion such that the density difference between the phases is greater than or equal to 2.times.10.sup.-3 g/cm.sup.3 at a temperature T wherein the temperature T is greater than or equal to 15.degree. C. below the cloud point of said emulsifier used in the formation of the first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion;
- (d) breaking said density adjusted hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion in a separator at said temperature T and recovering said naturally occurring hydrocarbon material separated;
- (e) re-emulsifying said separated naturally occurring hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier and conditioning same for further processing so as to form a stable second hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion suitable for transportation; and
- (f) transporting said second hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion.
- 2. A process according to claim 1 including the step of conditioning said re-emulsified naturally occurring hydrocarbon material for burning as a natural fuel.
- 3. A process according to claim 2 including forming a portion of said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion downhole.
- 4. A process according to claim 2 including forming a portion of said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion at the well head.
- 5. A process according to claim 4 including providing a static mixer at the well head for forming homogeneous hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion.
- 6. A process according to claim 1 including collecting said emulsion and feeding said collected emulsion to a static mixer for forming a homogeneous hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion prior to degassing said hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion.
- 7. A process according to claim 1 including providing an emulsifier for forming said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion selected from the group consisting of non-ionic surfactants, polymers, biosurfactants, cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, alkalies and mixtures thereof.
- 8. A process according to claim 7 including providing an emulsifier for forming said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alkyl phenols, ethoxylated alcohols, ethoxylated sorbitan esters and mixtures thereof.
- 9. A process according to claim 1 including providing an emulsifier for forming said second hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion wherein said emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of non-ionic surfactants and alkalies.
- 10. A process according to claim 1 including providing an emulsifier for forming said second hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion wherein said emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of non-ionic surfactants and an additive selected from the group consisting of Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, Li.sup.+, Ca.sup.++, Ba.sup.++, Mg.sup.++, Fe.sup.+++ and mixtures thereof
- 11. A process according to claims 7 or 8 including providing a non-ionic surfactant having an EO content of greater than 70%.
- 12. A process according to claims 9 or 10 including providing a non-ionic surfactant having an EO content of greater than 70%.
- 13. A process according to claim 3 including forming said portion of said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion downhole by injecting a mixture of said emulsifier and water.
- 14. A process according to claim 13 including providing an emulsifier for forming said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion selected from the group consisting of non-ionic surfactants, polymers, biosurfactants, cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, alkalies and mixtures thereof.
- 15. A process according to claim 13 including providing an emulsifier for forming said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alkyl phenols, ethoxylated alcohols, ethoxylated sorbitan esters and mixtures thereof.
- 16. A process according to claim 13 including providing an emulsifier for forming said second hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion wherein said emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of non-ionic surfactants and alkalies.
- 17. A process according to claim 13 including injecting said emulsifier and water below the submersible pump for forming the emulsion.
- 18. A process according to claim 17 including injecting said emulsifier and water above the submersible pump for forming the emulsion.
- 19. A process according to claim 17 including injecting said emulsifier and water below the submersible pump into the pump casing between the stationary valve and the travelling valve for forming the emulsion.
- 20. A process according to claim 1 including the step of conditioning said re-emulsified naturally occurring hydrocarbon material for further refining.
- 21. A process according to claim 20 including forming a portion of said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion downhole.
- 22. A process according to claim 20 including forming a portion of said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion at the well head.
- 23. A process according to claim 20 including providing a static mixer at the well head for forming homogeneous hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion.
- 24. A process according to claim 20 including providing an emulsifier for forming said second hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion comprising a non-ionic surfactant in combination with an alkali.
- 25. A process according to claim 24 wherein said emulsifier comprises an alkyl phenol ethoxylate having an EO content of greater than or equal to 70% and an alkali selected from the group consisting of ammonia, monovalent hydroxides and mixtures thereof.
- 26. A process according to claim 1 wherein the gas content is less than 2 cubic ft. of gas per barrel of emulsion.
- 27. A process for recovering a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material for further processing comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion from said naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier wherein, said hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion has a water content of at least 15 wt. %, a viscosity of no more than 5000 centipoise at 122.degree. F. and an oil droplet size of no more than 300 microns; and
- (b) degassing said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion at a temperature of as low as 95.degree. F. at a pressure of at least 30 psi so as to obtain a degassing efficiency of said hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion of greater than or equal to 90% so as to produce a degassed hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion having a gas content of less than 5 cubic ft. of gas per barrel of emulsion.
- 28. A process according to claim 27 including forming a portion of said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion downhole.
- 29. A process according to claim 27 including forming a portion of said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion at the well head.
- 30. A process according to claim 29 including providing a static mixer at the well head for forming homogeneous hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion.
- 31. A process according to claim 27 including collecting said emulsion and feeding said collected emulsion to a static mixer for forming a homogeneous hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion prior to degassing said hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion.
- 32. A process according to claim 27 including providing an emulsifier for forming said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion selected from the group consisting of non-ionic surfactants, polymers, biosurfactants, cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, alkalies and mixtures thereof.
- 33. A process according to claim 32 including providing an emulsifier for forming said first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alkyl phenols, ethoxylated alcohols, ethoxylated sorbitan esters and mixtures thereof.
- 34. A process according to claim 27 including injecting said emulsifier and water below the submersible pump for forming the emulsion.
- 35. A process according to claim 34 including injecting said emulsifier and water above the submersible pump for forming the emulsion.
- 36. A process according to claim 34 including injecting said emulsifier and water below the submersible pump into the pump casing between the stationary valve and the travelling valve for forming the emulsion.
- 37. A process for breaking of a hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion comprising the steps of:
- (a) adjusting the density difference between the hydrocarbon-in-water phases of said hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion such that the density difference between the phases is greater than or equal to 2.times.10 g/cm at a temperature T wherein the temperature T is greater than or equal to 15.degree. C. below the cloud point of said emulsifier used in the formation of the first hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion;
- (b) breaking said density adjusted hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion in a separator at said temperature T and recovering said naturally occurring hydrocarbon material separated; and
- (c) re-emulsifying said separated naturally occurring hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier and conditioning same for further processing so as to form a stable secondary hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion suitable for transportation.
- 38. A process according to claim 37 including adjusting the density difference by adding a salt to said emulsion.
- 39. A process according to claim 37 including adjusting the density difference by adding a diluent to said emulsion.
- 40. A process according to claim 37 including adjusting the density difference by adding a mixture of salt and diluent to said emulsion.
- 41. A process according to claim 37 including adjusting the density difference by adding a de-emulsifier selected from the group consisting of salts of Ca.sup.++, Mg.sup.++, Al.sup.+++ and cationics such as SO.sub.4.sup.= and HPO.sub.3.sup.= to said emulsion.
- 42. A process according to claim 41 wherein said de-emulsifier is an ionic surfactant.
- 43. A process according to claim 37 including providing an emulsifier for forming said second hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion wherein said emulsifier is a non-ionic surfactant in combination with an alkali.
- 44. A process according to claim 37 including providing an emulsifier for forming said second hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion wherein said emulsifier is a non-ionic surfactant in combination with an additive selected from the group consisting of Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, Li.sup.+, Ca.sup.++, Ba.sup.++, Mg.sup.++, Fe.sup.+++ and mixtures thereof.
- 45. A process according to claim 44 wherein said additive is added to said emulsion in a molar ratio amount of additive to sulfur in the hydrocarbon of greater than or equal to 0.050.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 14,871, filed Feb. 17, 1987 which in turn is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 875,450, filed June 17, 1986.
US Referenced Citations (28)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0974042 |
Nov 1964 |
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Sekiyu et al., 56-159291(A) Removal of Sulfur Oxide and Nitrogen Oxide, Japanese, 8-12-1981. |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
14871 |
Feb 1987 |
|
Parent |
875450 |
Jun 1986 |
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